Genetic Choices: Prenatal genetic Testing
Technology not a days has progressed tremendously in the last few decades. When women got pregnant, there were not as many tests done back then than there are now. Expecting mothers now can see 3D/4D images of their unborn child and get genetic tests done to see if their child will have anything wrong with them. There are tests done now to see if a child will have down syndrome or tay-sachs, which they can now check 10-14 weeks, and doctors can now check to see if the unborn fetus is going to have diseases and disabilities before the child is even born. This is called prenatal genetic screening. It allows the doctors to take a small blood or tissue sample from the mother and doctors can then test for deformities, diseases, and mutations. Once the test results show that something is wrong with the unborn fetus, the mother then can decide if she wants to abort the child or not. There are many benefits to prenatal genetic testing, but at a certain point it becomes morally wrong to eliminate unborn babies because of their defects.
"Prenatal genetic testing is checking for genetic disorders by looking for changes in a person's DNA" (Childress 519). Doctors take a small blood or tissue sample from a patient and they can test for genetic mutations that could possibly show up in their child. For testing for prenatal genetics, the doctor or mother wants to "determine if a fetus has genetic abnormalities likely to cause physical or mental impairments" (520 Vaughn ). If a mother is over the age of 35, the odds of her having a child with down syndrome is greater than a mother who is in her 20's. Genetic testing is also performed when there are inherited genetic disorders in the family history or ...
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Works Cited
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Another technology that has been around for a while is the general ultrasound. In the article by Jennifer Wang she states, “The risk of a patient having a fetus with Down syndrome can be assessed non-invasively using fetal markers seen on ultrasound.
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The Human Genome Project is the largest scientific endeavor undertaken since the Manhattan Project, and, as with the Manhattan Project, the completion of the Human Genome Project has brought to surface many moral and ethical issues concerning the use of the knowledge gained from the project. Although genetic tests for certain diseases have been available for 15 years (Ridley, 1999), the completion of the Human Genome Project will certainly lead to an exponential increase in the number of genetic tests available. Therefore, before genetic testing becomes a routine part of a visit to a doctor's office, the two main questions at the heart of the controversy surrounding genetic testing must be addressed: When should genetic testing be used? And who should have access to the results of genetic tests? As I intend to show, genetic tests should only be used for treatable diseases, and individuals should have the freedom to decide who has access to their test results.
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Genetic Screening is a relatively new concept that is just now becoming more widespread. In simple terms, the process uses techniques that enable the technician to identify mutant DNA in the person's genetic make up. If a mutant is found, medical precautions can be taken. If none is found, then it can be assumed that the person does not carry the deleterious gene and has the same risk of contracting the disease as anyone else in the population.
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In today’s world, people are learning a great deal in the rapidly growing and developing fields of science and technology. Almost each day, an individual can see or hear about new discoveries and advances in these fields of study. One science that is rapidly progressing is genetic testing; a valuable science that promotes prevention efforts for genetically susceptible people and provides new strategies for disease management. Unnaturally, and morally wrong, genetic testing is a controversial science that manipulates human ethics. Although genetic testing has enormous advantages, the uncertainties of genetic testing will depreciate our quality of life, and thereby result in psychological burden, discrimination, and abortion.
Genetic testing has become a highly controversial issue among both the general population and the scientific community. It is a process that exposes a person’s entire genome sequence, allowing it to be read and evaluated to identify potential risks for genetic diseases or diseases that could be passed onto offspring (Holt Productions, 2012). With thousands of genetic tests already being used, and more being established, it seems logical to put this growing technology to use. Some agree that it is a person’s right to know and understand his or her genetic makeup. However, others argue that, despite the benefits of genetic testing, caution should be used to carefully inspect the risks associated with this new technology.
(2) Even people that don 't have any disease could be more prepare, and prevent it from developing in the future by being more aware thanks to the genetic test provided. Genetic screening is another valuable technology that could help a parent keep track of their baby 's health by examining their chromosomes. Genetic testing and screening could impact the life all patients in a positive way, therefore the opposing side should be grateful, and take advantage of this opportunities provided. For example, a person goes to genetically test themselves in a clinic, and they come to find out that they could potentially develop heart problems in the future. Now they can be more aware, and prepared. They could in many different ways like changing their diet or exercising more so they could better protect their heart, and decrease the chances of having the heart problems, like they where presented in the genetic test. What if the person didn 't know they had a chance to have problems? and start eating unhealthy foods that could likely speed up their changes of developing a heart disease. My point is that the same thing goes to those parent who want to get a update of their unborn child 's health. Many healthy mother don 't really expect that their pregnancy will bring some implications, but in